The term wrapper is used generically to indicate rigid containers known as “cartons” designed to contain packets of cigarettes which, typically, will present a substantially rectangular parallelepiped geometry.
A first type of wrapper appears substantially as flattened parallelepiped with sharp corner edges, referable to a predominating longitudinal axis, internally of which the packets are disposed one alongside and in contact with the next in such a way as to create one or more rows extending along the longitudinal axis.
A second type of wrapper presents a substantially parallelepiped appearance with sharp corner edges and comprises a cupped container, a lid likewise of cupped embodiment, connected to the container by way of a hinge and capable thus of rotating between open and closed positions respectively exposing and concealing an open top end of the container, also a reinforcing frame extending from the open top end, by which the lid is retained when in the closed position. In this type of wrapper the packets are arranged in two rows, breasted in frontal contact one with another, and ordered along respective axes disposed transversely to the vertical axis of the wrapper.
The two types of rigid wrapper outlined above are not suitable for containing packets of cigarettes exhibiting a shape other than that of a rectangular parallelepiped.
The object of the present invention is to provide a rigid wrapper that can be fashioned from a flat diecut blank as simple and inexpensive as possible to produce, such as will accommodate packets of cigarettes presenting a shape quite different from that of a rectangular parallelepiped, and require a relatively modest quantity of wrapping material for its manufacture.